1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a seat frame assembly for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a seat frame assembly having at least one side bolster frame that is movable between a support position and a deflected position.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automotive vehicle includes one or more seat assemblies for supporting occupants within a passenger compartment. Seat assemblies typically include a seat cushion and a seat back interconnected to the seat cushion. The seat back supports a back of an occupant seated upon the seat cushion. Both the seat cushion and the seat back include a cellular foam pad encased by a decorative trim cover and supported by a rigid frame structure. The seat cushion and the seat back may also include movable or adjustable side bolsters or side support frames to provide additional support to occupants, particularly during lateral accelerations of the automotive vehicle.
As an alternative to the cellular foam pad mentioned above, the seat cushion or seat back may include an elastomer membrane or mesh suspension extending in tension between a rigid halo frame structure. It is, however, difficult to incorporate the adjustable bolsters into a seat back or seat cushion utilizing the mesh suspension. At the same time, incorporating such adjustable bolsters into the mesh suspension seat back or seat cushion would provide occupants thereof with needed additional support. Thus, it is desirable to provide adjustable bolsters into a seat cushion or seat back design having a mesh suspension.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,529 to Fourray discloses a seat including a seat cushion frame having an elastic layer extending thereover. The elastic layer is raised on opposite sides of the seat to form lateral wings projecting from the seat cushion frame. The seat cushion frame includes on each of its sides a plurality of tabs. A U-shaped rod is pivotally mounted to the plurality of tabs on one side of the seat cushion frame. An upper part of the rod is connected to one of the lateral wings of the elastic layer. The rod is connected by a connecting lever to a control device, which includes a cable extending between the rod and a post of a door. In operation, when the door is opened, the door pulls the cable so that the connecting lever and the rod pivot relative to the plurality of tabs. As a result, one of the lateral wings pivots with the rod and clears access to the seat.
A seat frame assembly for supporting an occupant in an automotive vehicle includes a pair of spaced apart, longitudinally extending side members interconnected by at least one generally transverse cross member defining a horizontal plane therebetween. The seat frame assembly also includes a side bolster frame pivotally secured to at least one of the side members. The side bolster frame is movable between a support position extending laterally outwardly from the side member and angled upwardly from the horizontal plane, and a deflected position extending generally parallel to the horizontal plane. In addition, the seat frame assembly includes a resilient trim cover extending in tension between the side bolster frame and the opposing side member for automatically pivoting the side bolster frame from the support position to the deflected position in response to a load from the occupant on the side bolster frame, thereby facilitating ingress and egress to the occupant on the seat frame assembly.